Workin' Girl

Friday, I accepted an employment offer....eeeeeeep! I am SO excited to start working for a new organization, meet new people, and hopefully influence some kids in a good way.
I'll be working in Career Services at a residential program for urban youth. It is a great match with my skills and experience, as well as something I think I am truly happy to be doing.
When I started my job seeking last month, I was thinking just part time, no pressure kinds of jobs. This is definitely not what I had in mind, but it is perfect. 
I am already envisioning my inevitable crash from working regular hours, I've got crockpot dinners lined up, my house is sparking, laundry caught up--I'm prepped and ready to go.

Weekly Obsessions

This has been a pretty chill week. I had a few job interviews, my niece stayed over, and I watched an insane amount of tv.
A few things I am loving: Wen Hair Care This summer my hair has been a bitch. I have tried everything. Conditioning masks, leave in treatments, oils, EVERYTHING.  I have been hearing good things about this lately and when Meg (one of my favorite bloggers, check her out!) said she has been loving it, I decided to try. I got pretty lucky, my Mom bought some on QVC (she is retired now, I guess that is how she is passing the time.) She told me she loved it, but her hair is so short, she thought I'd get better use out of it. So sweet. She had the Spring Gardenia and I love it. I have used it just twice now and I cannot believe the difference in my hair.

Hobby Lobby...no shocker there!  I typically only shop HL for craft supplies, or if there is a sale. In the last month, I have gotten KILLER deals on home decor. I found 4 MUST have items for under $5 each. 90% aisle treated me well. In addition to that, I was like an addict needing a fix in the fabric aisle. I came home with over 6 yards of beautiful fabric for less than $17.

I am OBSESSED with the town Farmer's Market! It is no doubt the highlight of my week lately and I am so beyond stoked to go tonight.
Annnnnnnnnnnd my other obsession? My killer boudoir photograher. I keep creeping on pictures of myself. Vain? Nah.

Check that off the list

About a month ago, I posted about being nervous about doing a boudoir photo shoot. Last week, I had my shoot.  It wasn't ANYTHING like I thought it would be. And truthfully, I pretty much forgot I was walking around in my undies.  Yesterday, I was able to meet with the photographer and see the pictures. They are AMAZING!! She picked a few that she will be using in her look books and ads. eeeeep! She asked if it was ok to post online, and I surprised myself and said YES! I truthfully do not care WHO sees them. They are very tasteful. And honestly, I wish I had seen some better plus size shots when I was looking at pictures for inspiration.  Since I was modeling for her, I have a photo credit (I want to buy them all!) and was given a digital image of my choice. I went with this one:

You can check out the AMAZING photographer's beautiful work here!

Playing Catch Up

It has been an interesting week or so.
I can finally say that my little sister is pregnant with her 2nd baby! To help announce the pregnancy (she and her husband are in Colorado until Dec.) I made this great shirt for my nephew:
"This Superhero is getting a sidekick"

(I think I am going to list the design in my Etsy store! I have had 3 calls so far from people that saw it on Facebook!)
He definitely wasn't pleased at first. It was traumatic for all of us. He ended up just wanting to sit in his room with Justin reading books. Eventually, he came around. He is going to be an excellent big brother!

I filmed my Mom finding out. I wish I had been able to do that for everyone, but it wasn't possible.
This week has mostly been spent crafting and cleaning. Tons of fun, right ;)

Living Room Decor

Our living room is getting closer and closer to finished!  We decided to say F painting for the moment. I hate painting! Our walls are a taupe color right now, and I can live with that. I do eventually want to paint, but I feel like our entire house is in various stages of completed. It makes not sense to tape off another room. A few weeks ago we picked up these curtains

I am obsessed with them! The great thing? They are ombre. We hung them upside down so the go from Orange (Target calls them coral...I disagree) to White. They can be hung either way!

We have a sofa table (I think that is what they are called?) that we put along the wall because the layout of our room doesn't allow it behind the sofa. 

It is full of wedding pictures and is a great focal point.

In this photo, the table isn't centered. It is now, I promise!!

And excuse my mass amounts of cat toys. Our cats are like toddlers and have toy piles everywhere.

The gold "G" was formerly in our dining room but it no longer works.

The green little statue things on the table are from Hobby Lobby--MAJOR sale! The were originally $30 each and I got them for $4.70!

I made all of the canvas and wood blocks myself. 

The only close up I have of the big canvas is before the final paint color. Originally, it was teal. But I decided it was too much blue. So it was switched to gold, but this gives a great close up of the bird design.

I am OBSESSED! The bird was cut out of shelf liner from Dollar Tree! Isn't that so thrifty fun!?

The blocks are just left over wood blocks from a custom order I had. I cut different orange fleur de lis designs. I thought the silhouette was just fun. I wanted the wall to be a hodge podge of different things. The other canvas (not pictured) says, "So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you" It is a quote from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is one of our favorites and we used it in our wedding programs.

On the wall where the tv sits, we hung these:

I've only had them for THREE years sitting in a closet. They were purchased at Lowe's for $20 each.

 My Mom called me a few weeks ago and told me a great story. Back in 1985, she wanted this rocking chair so badly. Looked at it constantly. When she found out she was pregnant she went to buy it, and it had been sold.

That night my Dad came home with the rocking chair.

She told me that she wanted me to have it, and I am so excited to add it to our living room! She and I are going to strip it and stain it ebony to match the room.

I am SO happy to have this room nearly finished! Once the chair is here,  I only need to make throw pillows and finish one wall.

wooohoo!!

Weekend Wrap Up!

Goodness! This has been a crazy 4 days or so! Thursday I spent HOURS cleaning our house. Mop, vacuum, dust, hang pictures in the living room...yuck. I am not a neat freak--at all. I am a total slob. So it sucked. Friday, Justin took a 1/2 day and we spent 4 hours and a bunch of money on food and decor for the party. That night, my college roommate came down to spend the weekend! We were up until 1am making rice. It was a long night! Saturday--PARTY DAY! Justin and I woke up and went to pick up the group gift at Kohl's and I grabbed a new dress for the party. A solid black maxi--and yet, no pictures. Lame. Here is the cake: How cute, right?! The sand is the BEST thing! It is like a mix of brown sugar and graham crackers. Obsessed! When we got the cake, I needed a cupcake, of course Here is the pineapple palm tree I made I didn't want to waste pineapple, so I also added the little shrubs--and made everyone promise to eat the pineapple on Sunday. Here are a few more party shots: My Step dad having a great time Opening the group gift--a Margaritaville Margarita Machine! The other part of the group gift was a gift bag full of tequila and mixers! It was definitely a great weekend. Yesterday we had brunch and said goodbye to Marissa. And then laid around all day. We had Chinese take out for dinner and watched a ton of movies. It was lovely!

Gift Giving Stress

I don't know about you, but I hate group gifts. I hate them obsessively. 
My Mom and I were planning to split a killer gift for my Aunt and Uncle's 25th anniversary. Then, another family member wanted in.
Then she added SIX more people.
And somehow, the gift I was paying $40 for, I am paying $65. How does that even make sense? 
On top of the other gifts I have, on top of the expenses of the party I've been planning for 3 months.

You better believe I called my Mom and told her we are going to use coupons to buy said gift. 
Thank you $50 off $100 at Elder Beerman.

Recent Reads

I set a Goodreads goal of reading 60 books this year! Last year I did 50 and just barely finished in time, this year I am determined to finished ahead of schedule. So far, I am at 35 books completed.
The Daughter She Used To Be, Rosalind Noonan The daughter of a career cop, Bernadette Sullivan grew up with blue uniforms hanging in the laundry room and cops laughing around the dinner table. Her brothers joined New York's finest, her sister married a cop, and Bernie is an assistant District Attorney. Collaring criminals, putting them away - it's what they do. And though lately Bernie feels a growing desire for a family of her own, she's never questioned her choices. Then a shooter targets a local coffee shop, and tragedy strikes the Sullivan family. Anger follows grief - and Bernie realizes that her father's idea of retribution is very different from her own. All her life, she's inhabited a clear-cut world of right and wrong, of morality and corruption. As Bernie struggles to protect the people she loves, she must also decide what it means to see justice served. And in her darkest hour, she will find out just what it means to be her father's daughter.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I just adore this book. I have downloaded a few of her other books, hoping to knock a few more out soon.
All She Ever Wanted, Rosalind Noonan
For years, Chelsea Maynard has longed to be a mother. She's imagined caring for a new baby in the lovely house she shares with her husband, Leo, fondly planning every detail. But after a difficult birth, those dreams of blissful bonding evaporate. Chelsea battles sleep deprivation and feelings of isolation. Little Annabelle cries constantly, and Chelsea has dark visions fuelled by exhaustion and self-doubt. Her sister, Emma, insists she gets help for postpartum depression, but Chelsea's doctor dismisses her worries as self-indulgent. Doubting her ability to parent - even doubting her own sanity - Chelsea is close to collapse. Then an unthinkable crisis hits.

Eeeep! I love this one even more than the other Noonan book I read. It was heart wrenching and wonderful.
Requiem, Lauren Oliver

This exciting finale to Lauren Oliver's New York Times bestselling Delirium trilogy is a riveting blend of nonstop action and forbidden romance in a dystopian United States.
Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent rebellion that was underway in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.
After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven. Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels.
As Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

I wanted to love this. I love the first two. I hated this. Hated it so much. I felt like it just...ended. 

The Best Of Me, Nicholas Sparks
In the spring of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths.

Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for the funeral of Tuck Hostetler, the mentor who once gave shelter to their high school romance. Neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. As Amanda and Dawson carry out the instructions Tuck left behind for them, they realize that everything they thought they knew -- about Tuck, about themselves, and about the dreams they held dear -- was not as it seemed. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers will discover undeniable truths about the choices they have made. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past?
I keep giving Nicholas Sparks another chance. I always regret that decision. Hated this.
The Kindness of Strangers, Katrina Kittle

A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life.

Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah's son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan's foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one another—and discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal.

The best of my recent reads! The subject matter is a bit rough to read at some points, but such a beautiful novel.

Brunch Ideas

Next weekend my cousin and I are hosting a 25th anniversary party for his parents.
It is going to be a pretty chill evening, with a lot of fun people.
One of them happens to be one of my favorite people ever (in the purple):

My college roommate Marissa! 

SO excited to have her stay with us next weekend.

The party is Saturday night, so I am thinking I want to have a little brunch thing before she leaves Sunday afternoon.

Probably no more than 10 people, to make it easy!

Lobster Tarts

How amazing does this yeast meringue coffee cake look?? This is before it was baked, and I think it looks better than after it is cooked- boo.

I'm not totally sure what we are looking at here, but I. love. eggs. And rice. 

I am OBSESSED with these invites!!!

I am thinking of doing a big fruit selection, maybe making a few waffles, and maybe eggs Benedict. In place of the Benedict, I will throw together a breakfast pizza. Hash browns are a MUST no matter what. I am a potato addict.

What was I thinking?

I am not a camera loving person. I feel like I am awkward. Yet, for some reason I am planning to face this fear head on.

Last week a photographer I have been following on Facebook posted a model call. And I definitely signed up.
For some sexy, sassy boudoir and beauty shots.

So now I am on the hunt for some inspiration. Tasteful is a MUST. And the photographer is AMAZING! I think it is going to be GREAT. Most of all, I think it might really help my confidence. And Justin---he is going to love them!

It has been a minute

The last few weeks have been SO BUSY!!!
Last week, I was in Colorado picking up my little nephew

He is pretty cute. Spiderman traveled with us, had his own seat and everything.
I will say, American Airlines...BITES. Both my flight out and our flight home were met with issues. I will likely never fly them again. I usually stick to Southwest...free bags, snacks, cheap tickets. Way better than late flights, rude attendants, and no snacks.
It was a great visit with my sister, as usual. I am so ready for her and her husband to move back at the end of the year!
Scotty and I landed around 12:30am, and then when he got to my Mom's house, he swam! NUTS. 7 year old boys have far more energy than I! 

Current Obsessions

Lately, my mornings have all began with this: Buy Here!

I do the Vanilla Chai and it is so yummy I can hardly handle it! I have a MASSIVE sweet tooth, so sometimes at night when I am craving something loaded with sugar, I have one of these instead. At 90 calories, it is definitely a better choice for me!
Sinful Colors in Timbleberry
I've had this bottle for like two years and just rediscovered it. It is definitely going to be my go to summer color!
This Bathing Suit

It must be mine! I have been looking all weekend for a suit I love. I found this one online and I need it! But, I think the smart choice would be to buy in store. I need to get on that!
My Nephew and Sister! NINE days and then I am Colorado bound!!  I will be bringing that little cutie back with me! I cannot wait for a summer full of Scotty time.